Shipping:AkebiShipping
---- AkebiShipping is the name of the relationship between Dawn's Buneary and the . The term comes from the Japanese name for Chocovine Town, Akebi Town, and is considered one-sided canon from Phione's side. Their entire interaction takes place during the episode Hold the Phione!. As the legend around Chocovine Town goes, any who sees a Phione will give them enough luck to win the next they enter. This prospect excites to the point of taking a submarine ride below the water in hopes of seeing one, and Buneary is along for the ride. Story evidence Phione's side *Phione first spots Buneary through the window of the submarine and immediately glides over to it, trying to talk to her through the glass. *Later, after Phione's escape from Team Rocket, Phione spots Buneary in Dawn's arms as the are about to board a bus, and shouts in excitement, possibly trying to draw her attention. However, Phione goes unnoticed and hops out of the water to try shouting to her once more, with no result. *Finally, Phione does encounter Buneary face to face just off the beach, rushing over to her and beckoning her to come with it. When tries to intervene by being friendly, Phione makes it clear it's only there for one person. However, in the event of Team Rocket's reappearance, Phione is startled to discover that Buneary is to hide behind. Forgetting the threat of its capture, Phione is enraged by the idea that Buneary may already have a friend she prefers to protect her from harm, having gone so far to find her again. Phione challenges Pikachu to a battle, transcribed by as basically a duel for the right to Buneary's paw. Dawn believes it to be romantic, and Brock empathizes with Phione's plight ( remains characteristically baffled by their responses). Pikachu isn't too keen on the idea, but Buneary takes matters into her own hands into putting herself in between the two and tells Phione that she'll battle in Pikachu's place, and if Phione wins, she'll go on a date with it, terms Phione excitedly agrees to. *In the end, Buneary proves to be the better battler and wins, a turn of events that disheartens Phione greatly. With a sad goodbye to Buneary, it turns back to the waves, intending to swim out to the open sea without her. Buneary's side *It's not immediately to be. Team Rocket call quits on standing on the sidelines to once more attempt to capture Phione before it reaches the water, but both Buneary and Pikachu stand to defend it, emphasizing that despite Phione's behavior toward both (enamored with and jealousy of, respectively) both are harboring no hard feelings. One double combination from Buneary and Phione is all it takes to stop them. *With Phione now leaving their company, noted for its lonely demeanor, Buneary calls out to it with a smile on her face, and what she tells it puts a smile back on Phione's countenance. Dawn translates what she believes Buneary is telling Phione, and Buneary indicates she is correct: "Buneary told Phione to cheer up, 'cause they would be battling again one of these days." It's strongly implied that either this means Buneary feels that Phione and she are friends, despite the rift of feelings, or that it would be another chance for Phione to win her affections, indicating she might have a soft spot for Phione growing in her heart (though unlikely overshadowing her crush on Pikachu). Unless Phione returns, however, the nature behind Buneary's words are left to interpretation.